In the first volume of Guy Gavriel Kay's classic trilogy The Fionavar Tapestry, five Toronto university students encounter a man who will change their lives, taking them from our world to discover their roles in an epic war looming in the first of all the worlds: Fionavar.
The Summer Tree
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Review
'I'm not just impressed by THE SUMMER TREE - I'm overwhelmed' Marion Zimmer Bradley 'Engrossingly worthwhile' Asimov's Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine 'A lovingly detailed work ... a classic of the genre' Fantasy Review
--This text refers to an alternate
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About the Author
GUY GAVRIEL KAY is acknowledged as one of the world's foremost fantasy authors. He is the author of eleven novels, and his works have been translated into twenty-five languages. Kay lives in Toronto with his family. Visit him online at brightweavings.com.
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First Sentence
In the spaces of calm almost lost in what followed, the question of why tended to surface. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
In the spaces of calm almost lost in what followed, the question of why tended to surface. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Personally i found some of this book hard to read and understand. It does get better as you get further into it, and you start to see the authors vision. There are alot of names that are so similar to one another, that sometimes it's hard to remember who is being written about. If you are up for a mildly frustrating read for a really good cliffhanger of a first book then i suggest you read this book. If your a more passive reader then i would suggest you read something a little less complex. I have started reading the first two chapters of book 2 and find it much easier to understand things so maybe after you get the base of things with book 1 things become alot more clear. All in all a great read that is a little frustrating and hard to understand at points, but that will eventually become clear if you progress through it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Arauka
Format:Hardcover
The Summer Tree, as the first part of the Fionavar Tapestry, marked the arrival of one of the most imaginative Canadian authors of all time. Guy Kay used this book and its sequels, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road, as a launch pad for his developing style of fantasy fiction based on meticulously researched history. Those familiar with his later works will find links to our own world at their most tenuous in Fionavar - despite the five main characters stepping into another world direct from the U of T campus - and some readers appear to have found this aspect of the works disappointing. On the contrary, the Tapestry served as an excellent starting point for Kay and holds up on its own. Far from being a Tolkien rehash, Kay mixes some of the same influences as Tolkien used(e.g. Norse and Celtic Mythology) with many others of his own to develop a fantastic story set in a fantastic world well beyond that of most fantasy literature today. It may not satisfy those who prefer Kay's more recent books in which the historical is more prominent and the magical more subtle, but I find them all of a piece - great books by a great author.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A bunch of Toronto law students are taken to a Tolkienian world by magical means---and they are only slightly surprised. In this world they proceed to take the places they seem to have been born for without misgivings.
I have no problem with yet another Dark Lord, elves, orcs and the whole tribute to Tolkien but I simply could not bring myself to believe this. So I laboured through the first part of the book, quite unconvinced. And all of a sudden, the writing became so good that it really *hit* me. Unfortunately, this impression receded a bit towards the end of the book, but those chapters (Dave's) made reading it worth my while. I also liked the way Kay slowly reveals the background of Fionovar, even if this contributes to the blandness of the beginning.
This is not a book I'd recommend as an introduction to Guy Gavriel Kay. He's a really great writer, but his later works are much better in my opinion.
In short, while I'll be reading the two remaining books of the Fionovar series, my recommendation would be to get _Tigana_, _A Song for Arbonne_, and _The Lions of Al-Rassan_ before _The Summer Tree_.
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3.9 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved this book - and the whole trilogy
I am glad I happened to buy this book, I had not read anything of this author before. This book is the beginning of a beautiful trilogy... Read more
Published on Oct 29 2007 by bookworm
1.0 out of 5 stars
Highly disappointing
I started "The Summer Tree" with high expectations based on Kay's later works. I was sorely disappointed. Read more
Published on Oct 16 2006 by Melanie D. Crisfield
1.0 out of 5 stars
Only for fantasy readers
I'm not usually a fantasy reader, but I picked up The Summer Tree hoping to try out something different for a change. I wasn't that impressed. Read more
Published on Aug 23 2005 by A. Sider
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful Story set in a Beautiful World
I love the Fionavar Tapestry. In these books Kay has woven a beautiful, complex story. The setting is Fionavar, a gorgeous and enchanted world filled with magic and history--a... Read more
Published on July 31 2004 by CanadianMother
5.0 out of 5 stars
All the stories you ever heard, with a twist added.
I was first introduced to GGK and this book when a visiting Australian friend left it for me when I was in University. Read more
Published on May 11 2002 by frumiousb
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sad disappointment
I love GG Kay's works and I came to this with high expectations.
Its a significant departure from the style and themes of his other works. Read more
Published on May 9 2002 by Mr A Paterson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
An inspired piece of work that does not cease to amaze me. From epic sweeps of grandeur to poignant moments with individuals, Guy G. Read more
Published on Sep 12 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kay's lyrical, fluid, prose is often more like poetry
This is not a book where worlds are built; this is a book where I delve into wonderful prose and drink it like water, as I lick up every scrap of wonder at his ability to link such... Read more
Published on Aug 20 2001 by Kelly Tarlow
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing..
I loved this book. I only really have one complaint. Kay's writing style is a little difficult to get into. He is writing in a high fantasy style for a high fantasy world. Read more
Published on Aug 1 2001 by Katrina Lehto
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books I have read
I admit - I picked this book out because of it's cover. The drawings were amazing, and I felt that I just had to read the book to see what it was like. Read more
Published on July 16 2001
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